Automatic corn-planter.



J. B. JARMIN.

AUTOMATIC CORN PLANTER.

(Application filed Oct. 5, 1899.)

(No Model.)

VVILE EEEES- w: m: mas. :0, mm. whsnmm'on, D c,

Patented Dec. l2, I899.

4 Sheets$haet l.

N0. 638,72l. Patented Dec. l2, I899.

' J. B. JARMIN.

AUTUMATIG CORN PLANTER.

(Application filed Oct. 5, 1899.)

4 Sheets-S-heet 2;

(No Model.)

N0. 638,72]. Ptente d Dec. l2, i899.

J. B. JARMIN.

AUTOMATIC CORN PLANTER.

(Application filed Oct. 5, 1899.)

(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheot 3,

No. 638,72l. Patented Dec. 12, I899.

J. B. JARMIN.

AUTOMATIC CORN PLANTER.

(Application filed Oct. 5, 1899.)

No Model.) 4 -SheetsSheet 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. JARMIN, OF OSCEOLA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE IMPLEMENT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DAVEN- PORT, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC COR N-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,721, dated December 12, 1899.

Application filed October 5,1899- Serial No. 732 604. (No model.)

To CLZZ 1071,0712, it 717/602] 0 acorn.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES B. JARMIN, a citizen of the United States, residingat Osceola, in the county of Polk and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Corn-Planters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic check-row corn-planters of the wireless type exemplified by the planter illustrated in Letters Patent No. 630,891, granted to me August 15, 1899.

My present invention is applicable to planters of any construction or mode of operation, the particular embodiment of my invention herein illustrated and described being shown as applied to a planter corresponding in all general respects as to construction and mode of operation with the planter illustrated in the said patent simply for brevity and convenience, my presentinvention residingin the novel manner in which the automatic checkrow attachment is connected with the planter and the seed-dropping mechanism is operated from the markenshaft.

The purpose of the present invention, like that in the aforesaid Letters Patent, is to so connect the marker attachment with the planter as to permit lateral turning of the plant-er without deflecting the marker; and my present invention has for its primary objects to simplify and cheapen the flexible connection between the marker and planter, to reduce the number of parts necessary to a complete machine, to providea structure more readily adapted for attachment to any kind of planter, and to simplify the connection by which the seed-dropping mechanism is operated from the marker attachment.

A further object is to dispense with all sprocket wheel and chain or toothed gear connections of any kind between the seed-dropping mechanism and the marker attachment and yet have the said mechanism directly and positively actuated from the marker attachment regardless of the relative positions of said attachment and the planter, whereby is avoided the friction and binding incident to the transmission of power, especially as be tween shifting parts, by the ordinary gear connections.

These and such other objects as may here inafter appear are attained by the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which.

Figure 1 represents a plan View of a planter embodying my invention, showing the marker and machine in line in normal position. Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but showing the planter turned laterally out of line, while the marker remains in line. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3, but taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, showing more clearly the star-wheel and tappet. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail View taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, more clearly showing the means-for operating the lifting-arms; and Figs. 7 and 8 are detail sections on-the lines '7 7 and 8 8, respectively, of Fig. 6.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the main frame of the planter; B, the ground-wheels thereof; 0, the forward frame; D, the runners; E, the seedboxes; F, the drag-marker; G, the tongue; H, the spade-marker wheels; I, the markershaft, and J the rocking shaft for operating the seed-dropping mechanism, all of which features are of the ordinary or any desired construction and arrangement and correspond in construction, arrangement, and mode of operation with like parts of the machine of my aforesaid patent, and need not, therefore, be described herein in detail.

The connection between the marker and the planter comprises a pair of bars K L, located one above the other and lying parallel with each other and with the line of draft of the machine as viewed both from above and from the side of the machine when the marker and planter are in a normal position with relation to the line of draft shown in Fig. 1; but when the planter is turned out of linethat is, to one side or the other of the line it should followthe marker will remain in line i with the spade-marker wheels parallel with the true line of planting, notwithstanding the planter is turned to one side of the true line and the draft-bars K and L assume an angular position with relation to each other, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The upper draft-bar K while rotatively attached to the marker-shaft I is otherwise rigid therewith, and its position with relation to the marker-shaft cannot change either endwise or laterally, but only vertically and axially with relation to the marker as the shaft moves up and down in the travel of the marker across the field. In other words, the bar- K, in conjunction with the marker-shaft, forms a T, of which the shaft is the cross and the bar is the body. I have shown this bar as bifurcated at its rear end, where it is attached to the marker shaft by suitable boxes a and held against longitudinal movement on the shaft by collars b; but obviously this particular connection is not important so long as'the bar is either rotatively or pivotally connected with the'shaft so that the shaft may rotate and move vertically with relation to said bar,but cannot otherwise change its position with relation thereto. The forward end of the bar K is connected by springs M with a stationary part of the machine, the springs in the drawings being shown as connected at their outer ends with the side bars of the main frame of tbe planter. These springs are always under tension and are designed to balance each other, so as to normally center the bar with the tongue of the planter when the latter is in a straight line; but whenever the planter swings to one side or the other of a straight line the bar will maintain its original position, as shown in Fig. 2, and one of the springs will be stretched or expanded, while the other one will contract, thus allowing the planter to turn without putting a strain on the marker-shaft that would also cause the marker to turn.

The draft-bar L is pivoted to the draft-bar K, preferably near the rear end thereof, as at N, while the forward end of said bar L is connected by a swivel or flexible joint of any suitable kind with the planter at any desired point. By preference I have shown and in the machines I have constructed I have used the connection shown in the drawings, which is attached to the tongue G of the planter just ahead of the forward frame, a bracket 0 being mounted upon the tongue and having an eye I formed thereon, into which interlocks an eye Q, formed on the bar L at right angles there to, said eyes each having an internal diameter sufficiently larger than the diameter of the interlocking member to permit free movement of said parts upon one another. This interlocked eye-coupling between the bar and the planter affords a substantially universal joint or connection between the marker and the planter and allows of the independent rise and fall of the spademarker wheels, due to the unevenness of the ground the bodily vertical movement of the marker, either in passing over the ground or in being raised clear of the ground, and the lateral turning of the planter with relation to the marker due to careless or irregular driving. It will thus be seen that while the marker attachment is flexibly connected with the planter, so as to allow all of the necessary movements thereof, as well as of the planter, without deflecting the marker, and to the same extent as in my before-mentioned patented machine, the connection is exceedingly sim ple and direct. The draft-barL serves the direct purpose of communicating the draft from the tongue to the marker, while the draft-bar K operates in conjunction with the other parts to secure the necessary movements of the marker and yet assist in maintaining the marker and planter in their normal relative positions. Indeed, all the purposes of my invention would be subserved by attaching the draft-bar L direct to the marker-shaft instead of to the other draftbar K; but in view of the fact that this would involve an extra coupling and extra parts and would not be in any wise an advantage over the connection shown, because to all intents and purposes the pivot connection is to the marker through the bar K, I prefer the more simple form shown.

For operating the seed-dropping mechanism, which may be of any ordinary or desired construction or arrangement, as it forms no part of my present invention, any kind of centrally disposed gearing or mechanism adapted to communicate power from the marker-shaft to the rock-shaft of the seeddropping mechanism may be employed in conjunction with my novel connection between the marker and the planter; but I prefer the means illustrated in the drawings, because of their simplicity, direct action, and avoidance of the friction and binding incident to sprocket wheel and chain or toothed gear connections. This mechanism consists of a star-wheel c, keyed upon the marker-shaft I at the center of length thereof in position to act upon a tappet d, pivoted upon the draft-bar K near the rear end thereof, where said bar is bifurcated, said tappet in this instance being in the shape of a bell-crank lever carrying an antifriction-roller e on the end thereof, arranged to be struck by the star-wheel and having its opposite end pivotally connected by a rod f with a rock-lever g, pivoted to the planter-frame and preferably upon the tongue of the planter adjacent to the coupling between the draft-bar L and the tongue. The opposite end of the rock-lever is connected by a rod h with a crank-arm iupon the rockshaft J of the seed dropping mechanism. The number of points on the star-wheel corresponds with that of the wide or marker spades of the marker-wheels, and such points also correspond in radial position on the marker-shaft with the radial position of the broad spade-marker blades, and hence every time a spade-marker blade enters the ground a point of the star-wheel engages and operates the tappet d and through it the seeddropping mechanism, so as to drop the seed at the point where indicated by the spademarker blades.

XVhatever adjustment is necessary to render the checking accurate is done by changing the radial position of the star-wheel upon the marker-shaft; but in setting up the machine or in applying automatic check-row attachments to a planter under all ordinary conditions the adjustment of the star-wheel to the radial position on the marker-shaft corresponding to that of the spade-marker wheels will insure perfect results.

It will be noted that the pivot connections between the rodf and the tappet d and rocklever 9 have suflicient play to allow of all the lateral movements of the lever g with the planter without undue friction or binding, the simplest connection being to have large rings interlocking to form a shackle affording a flexible connection to allow movement in all directions.

To provide for backing or reverse rotation of the marker-shaft for any purpose without affecting the seed-dropping mechanism, any of the usual devices forsuch purpose maybe adopted; but in the drawings I have shown the striker-arm of the tappet d jointed, as at 70, with a spring Z secured to the pivoted part of the tappet and hearing at its free end upon the free end of the tappet, which will permit the tappet to bend or flex upon said joint whenever the direction of rotation of the starwheel is backward. Of course the springl might be dispensed with and gravity alone be relied upon to retain the free end of the tappet in its normal proper position; but as there would be a tendency for this end to rattle and vibrate on account of the unevenness of the ground the use of the spring will be desirable, although not necessary.

\Vhile this mechanism for operating the seed-dropping mechanism from the markershaft is especially well adapted for use in conjunction with the particular form of flexible connection between the marker shaft and planter herein shown and described, it is obviously equally well adapted for use in conjunction with the style of flexible connection illustrated in my aforesaid patent as a substitute for the form of gearing therein shown, and, indeed, this means of operating the seeddropping mechanism is adapted for use in conjunction with any kind of flexible connection so long as a pivotal support for the tappet can be provided that shall maintain said tappet at all times in proper relation to the star-wheel, for such pivotal support is not necessarily afforded by such a bar as the draft-bar K. (Illustrated in the drawings.)

I have also provided a novel means for raising the marker attachment clear of the ground, which permits the operator to pull upon the lifting-lever instead of pushing upon it, as heretofore necessary, thus giving him the greatest possible advantage in this manipulation, which is necessary in turning the planter at each end of the row, as well as in running from place to place. This mechanism consists of a pair of arms on, rigidly connected to a cross-shaft a and projecting rearwardly beyond the marker-shaft underlying the same, where they terminate in hooks or have their ends upturned to form hooks for the purpose of squaring the marker-shaft with the planter in the event that it is not square with the planter when the marker attachment is raised from the ground. The production of this effect will be readily understood when it is borne in mind that the -marker attachment swings upon an arc struck from the flexible coupling on the forward frame of the planter, While the lifting-arms swing upon the shorter arc struck from their pivoting-shaft, so that although the markershaft may be at an oblique angle to these arms when the lifting commences when the hooks on the ends of the arms engage the markershaft it will be forcibly swung around to a position square with said arms, and consequently square with the planter, and of course, in proper position to be dropped to the ground again at the commencement of the next row. One of these arms is converted into a lever by an extension thereof to the opposite side of the pivoting-shaft, upon which extension is formed or secured a toothed segment 0, with which engages a corresponding toothed segment p upon the lifting-lever g, which is provided with the usual spring-actuated latch r, engaging the toothed rack s, secured to the main frame of the planter for locking the lifting-lever in any adjusted position. This form of lifting mechanism is particularly adapted for use in connection with the present style of marker attachment, because instead of the two parallel draft-bars arranged at opposite sides of the planter there is but practically a single bar at the center with which lifting-arms would engage-and which would afford no means for squaring the marker with the planter, as do the arms of the present lifting mechanism, which engage the marker-shaft direct.

Obviously numerous changes in the construction and arrangement as well as form.

of the various parts of my machine will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art to which my invention appertains and may be adapted without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not desire to limit myself to the particular construction and arrangement of parts shown and described. For instance, the lever g may be dispensed with and the rod f beengaged directly with the rock-shaft J, either with the crankarm i in its present position, which would cause a rocking of the shaft in the opposite direction, or the radial position of the crank-arm might be reversed to the opposite side of said shaft to cause it to have the same direction of operation as it now has. Indeed, so far as relates to the broad idea of my invention, the rock-shaft may also be dispensed with and the tappet be connected by the rod fin any suitable manner with any portion of the seed-dropping mechanism where it will subserve the intended purpose of operating such mechanism. The employment of the lever g is desirable only where the flexible connection between the marker attachment and the planter cannot be conveniently made substantially coincident with the point of attachment of the rod f to the seed-dropping mechanism forv the purpose of avoiding undue friction and binding resultin g from the relative movements of the planter and marker. A reasonable degree of variation, however, will not prove objectionable.

Alarge number of machines embodying the construction herein shown and described have been in practical use for some time and have fully demonstrated the advantages of the present invention not only in the smoothness and certainty of operation of the machine, but also in the accuracy of the dropping and checking, in the simplicity and cheapness of the machine, as well as the comparatively small power required to operate the machine and the exceeding freedom and flexibility of the marker in responding to inequalities in the ground Without answering to or being affected by the lateral turning of the planter, due to irregular or careless driving, or, when such turning is necessary, to avoid stumps and like obstacles in the field.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a planter and the seed-dropping mechanism thereof, of an automatic check-row attachment operatively connected with the seed-dropping mechanism and comprising a pair of spade-marker wheels, a shaft therefor, a bar journaled at one end upon said shaft but rigid as against lateral movement with relation to said shaft and yieldingly connected at its forward end to the planter, and a second bar pivotally connected at one end to the marker and flexibly connected at its opposite end to the plant-er, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a plantera-nd the seed-dropping mechanism thereof, of an automatic check-row attachment comprising a pair of spade-markerwheels, ashaft therefor, a bar journaled at one end upon said shaft but rigid as against lateral movement with relation to said shaft and yieldingly con nected at its forward end to the planter, a second bar pivotally connected at one end to the marker and flexibly connected at its opposite end to the planter, and an operative connection between said marker and the seed-dropping mechanism of the planter at the longitudinal center of the planter and marker, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a planter and the seed-dropping mechanism thereof, of an automatic check-row attachment comprising a pair of spade-marker wheels operatively connected with the seed-dropping mechanism and a pair of draft-bars connecting the marker with the planter, one of said bars being flexibly connected at its ends, respectively, with the marker and planter, and the other of said bars being pivotally connected at one end with the marker-shaft and yieldingly connected at its other end with the planter, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a planter and the seed-dropping mechanism thereof, of an automatic check-row attachment comprising a pair of spade-marker wheels operatively connected with the seed dropping mechanism, and a pair of draft-bars connecting the marker and planter, one of said bars being pivotally connected with the marker at one end and yieldingly connected with the planter at its other end, and the other bar being pivotally connected at one end with the first-mentioned bar and flexibly connected at its other end with the planter, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a planter and the seed-dropping mechanism thereof, of an automatic check-row attachment comprising a pair of spade-marker wheels operatively connected with the seed -dropping mechanism and a pair of coupling-bars flexibly connecting the marker and planter, one of said bars being loosely journaled at one end upon the marker-shaft and connected at its other end with the planter by opposing springs, and the other bar being flexibly connected at its ends, respectively, with the marker and planter, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a planter and the seed-dropping mechanism thereof, of an automatic check-row attachment comprising a pair of spade-marker wheels operatively connected with the seed-dropping mechanism, and a pair of draft-bars flexibly connecting said planter and marker, one of said bars being pivotally connected at one end with the marker and at its opposite end yieldingly connected with the planter, and the other bar being pivotally connected at one end with the marker and connected at its other end with the planter by an interlocking eye-coupling affording pivots at right angles to each other, substantially as described.

'7. The combination with a planter and the seed-dropping mechanism thereof, of an automatic check-row attachment comprising a pair of spade-marker wheels operatively connected with the seeddropping mechanism and a pair of draft-bars flexibly connecting the marker and planter, one of said bars being loosely journaled at one end upon the marker-shaft and connected at its other end by opposing springs with the planter, and the other bar being pivoted at one end to the firstmentioned bar and at its opposite end being flexibly connected to the planter by an interlocking eye-coupling affording pivots at right angles to each other, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a planter and the seed-dropping mechanism thereof, of an automatic check row attachment comprising a trailing markerand shaft therefor and a flexible connection between said planter and marker, a shaft connected with, so as to opcrate, the seed-dropping mechanism of the planter, a star-wheel upon the marker-shaft, a tappet and a connection between said tappet and the shaft of the seed-dropping mechanism for operating said mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. The combination with a planter and the seed-dropping mechanism thereof, of an automatic check-row attachment comprising a trailing marker and shaft therefor and a flexible connection between said planter and marker, a shaft connected with, so as to 0perate, the seed-dropping mechanism of the planter, a star-wheel upon the marker-shaft, a tappet and a rod-and-lever connection between said tappet and the shaft of the seeddropping mechanism, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a planter and the seed-dropping mechanism thereof, of an automatic check-row attachment comprising a trailing marker and shaft therefor and a flexible connection between said planter and marker, a shaft connected with, so as to operate, the seed-dropping mechanism of the planter, a star-Wheel upon the marker shaft, a tappet pivoted upon the marker attachment and a lever pivoted upon the planter, said lever being connected with the tappet and the shaft of the seed-dropping mechanism, re spectively, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a planter and the seed-droppin g mechanism thereof, of an automatic check-row attachment comprising a trailing marker and shaft therefor and a flexible connection between said planter and marker, a shaft connected with, so as to operate, the seed-dropping mechanism of the planter, a star-wheel upon the marker-shaft, a tappet pivoted upon the marker attachment, a lever pivoted upon the planter, a crank-arm on the shaft of the seed-dropping mechanism and rods connecting said lever with said crank-arm and with the tappet, respectively, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a planter and the seed-dropping mechanism thereof, of an automatic check-row attachment comprising a trailing marker and shaft therefor, a pair of draft-bars connecting the marker with the planter, one of said bars being flexibly connected at its ends, respectively, with themarker and planter, and the other of said bars being rotatively connected at one end with the marker-shaft and yieldingly connected at its other end with the planter, a starwheel on the marker-shaft, a tappet pivoted upon the lastmentioneddraft-bar, a shaft connected with, so as to operate, the seed: dropping mechanism and a connection between said shaft and the tappet, substantially as described.

13. The combination With a planter and the seed-dropping mechanism thereof, of an automatic check-row attachment comprising a trailing marker and shaft therefor, a pair of draft-bars connecting the marker with the planter, one of said bars being flexibly connected at its ends, respectively, with the marker and planter, and the other of said bars being pivotally connected at one end with the marker-shaft and yieldingly connected at its other end with the planter, a star-Wheel on the marker-shaft, a tappet pivoted upon the last-mentioned draft-bar, a shaft connected with, so as to operate, the seed-dropping mechanism, and a lever pivoted upon the planter, said lever being connected with the tappet and the shaft of the seed-dropping mechanism, substantially as described.

14. The combination with a planter and the seed-dropping mechanism thereof, of an automatic check-row attachment comprising a trailing marker and shaft therefor, a pair of draft-bars connecting the marker with the planter, one of said bars being flexibly connected at its ends, respectively, with the marker and planter, and the other of said bars being pivotally connected at one end with the marker-shaft and yieldingly connected at its other end with the planter, a star-wheel on the marker-shaft,a tappet pivoted upon the last-mentioned draft-bar, a shaft connected with, so as to operate, the seed-dropping mechanism, a lever pivoted upon the planter, a crank-arm on said last-mentioned shaft and rods connecting said lever with the said crankarm and tappet, respectively, substantially as described.

15. The combination with the planter, a trailing marker, of a pair of draft-bars flexibly connecting the planter at the center of width thereof, one of said bars being flexibly connected at its ends, respectively, with the marker and planter, and the other of said bars being pivotally connected atone end with the marker-shaft and yieldingly connected at its other end with the planter, of a pair of lifting-arn1s pivoted upon the planter-frame and adapted to engage the marker-shaft, said arms terminating in hooks, and means for operating said arms, substantially as described.

16. The combination with the planter, a trailing marker, of a pair of draft-bars flexibly connecting the planter at the center of width thereof, one of said bars being flexibly connected at its ends, respectively, with the marker and planter, and the other of said bars being pivotally connected at one end with the marker-shaft and yieldingly connected at its other end with the planter, of a pair of lifting-arms adapted to engage the marker- Ibo shaft, said arms terminating in hooks, a rockshaft journaled in the planter-frame to which said arms are secured, and a lock-lever for operating said arms, substantially as described.

17. The combination with the planter, a trailing marker, of a pair of draft-bars flexibly connecting the planter at the center of Width thereof, one of said arms being flexibly connected at its ends, respectively, with the marker and planter, and the other of said bars being pivotally connected at one end with the marker-shaft and yieldingly connected at its other end with the planter, of a pair of lifting-arms adapted to engage the markershaft, said arms terminatingin hooks, a rockshaft journaled in the planter-frame to which said arms are secured, a toothed segment secured to one of said arms, a lock-lever and a toothed segment thereon meshing with the first-mentioned toothed segment, substantially as described.

18. The combination with a planter, a trailing marker, a flexible connection between said marker and planter, of a pair of lifting arms pivoted in the planter-frame and adapted to engage the marker-shaft, said arms tert-ioned segment, substantially as described.

20. The combination with a planter and the seed-dropping mechanism thereof, of an automatic check-row attachment compising a trailing marker and shaft therefor, a flexible connection between said planter and marker, a star-Wheel upon the marker-shaft, a tappet and a connection between said tappet and the seed-dropping mechanism for operating said mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose described.

JAMES B. JARMIN.

Vitnesses:

WALDo BECKER, G. E. BOARD. 

